On the benefits of native plants
Angie Hong
On the Benefits of Native Plants
Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Before I learned the difference between native and invasive plant species, for example, I could enjoy a walk in the woods, admiring the leafy green buckthorn along the path, the glorious purple loosestrife in the marsh and the little white and yellow daisy fleabane in the prairie. Now when I take a hike, I have to fight the urge to carry a bottle of RoundUp with me. On the other hand, now that I am also aware of the many benefits of plants native to Minnesota, I am that much more impressed when I see a blooming purple coneflower or a towering white pine.
Plants native to Minnesota are adapted for the region in which they live. In other words, they have developed resistance to many common diseases, grown spines or poison sap to keep animals from eating them and can survive and thrive in even the coldest Minnesota winters and hottest Minnesota summers. If you drive by any prairie areas this week, you might notice that unlike our lawns, they are looking great.
Minnesota’s prairie plants have incredible root systems. Black eyed susan, a vibrant yellow flower with a fuzzy black center, can grow roots four to five feet deep, while the wild white indigo, a flowering shrub, has roots up to seven feet deep. Better yet are the prairie grasses, big bluestem and Indian grass with roots stretching 12 feet or more into the earth. Compare that with the pitiable two-inch roots of lawn grass and you’ll understand why the prairies stay lush when the lawns brown and wilt.
Long roots have another added benefit; they absorb water quickly and hold soil in place. Remember the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s, which led to the Depression? It happened because the roots of wheat, corn and cotton were just not as deep and strong as those of the native prairies. When drought was followed by wind, acres of land that had been cleared for farming just picked up and blew away. Drive past the county fairgrounds sometime this week and you might witness a reenactment of the Dust Bowl right before your eyes.
What about wetlands? If you have one in your backyard, you may be accustomed to the sight of invasive, and boring, reed canary grass. In reality there are dozens of Minnesota plants adapted to wetland living, including the dazzling blue flag iris, sunny marsh marigold and cheerful marsh milkweed. The milkweed is one of those plants that has developed a special adaptation to protect it from being eaten. It is poisonous to all insects other than monarch butterflies, meaning that a patch of milkweed in your garden is sure to attract dozens of fluttering beauties.
Finding native Minnesota plants for your yard and garden can be tricky if you don’t know the right place to look. Many large-scale retailers sell varieties of natives similar to those in Minnesota but originally from Kansas, Nebraska or Oklahoma. A better option is to visit one of the local native plant nurseries that specializes in plants grown from seed sources within 200 miles of here. The www.BlueThumb.org website is a good resource to get you started. The plant selector tool allows you to enter in criteria from you yard, such as soil type and amount of sunlight, and in return provides you with a list of native Minnesota plants that will grow well in those conditions. The website also has links to local retailers that sell native plants and to the Minnesota DNR for garden designs. Best news yet? Plants native to Minnesota require no pesticides, no fertilizers, and after the first year, no watering. This means less maintenance for you, and more time to actually relax and enjoy your garden.
Angie Hong is an educator with the East Metro Water Resource Education Program. She can be reached at (651) 275-1136 x. 35 angie.hong@mnwcd.org
Posted: August 3, 2007